Land Use

Greater Greater Washington writes about where we live, work, and play, why we make the location choices we do, and what forces shape these places.

Many people would like to live in safe, diverse, walkable neighborhoods with access to transit, stores, parks, good schools, and other amenities. While our region has more walkable urban places than most, the demand still exceeds available housing, making these places more expensive (and prices keep rising rapidly).

We must ensure that there are enough housing choices so everyone who wants to live in such a neighborhood can choose to do so. We should ensure that housing in desirable areas is available to people at many points along the income spectrum, and take action to fight segregation. And we can improve the vitality of all neighborhoods by encouraging new retail and amenities to improve the quality of life for all residents.

Buckling under intense pressure from Greater Greater Washington readers… well, maybe not… the House of Representative is soliciting bids for a bike sharing program “promote the health, wellness and productivity of our workforce” with at least 30 bicycles that employees can use during the workday. Via Richard Layman. Keep reading…

Despite some doomsday predictions, the Nationals’ first weeknight game also went smoothly, with Metro again handling the crowds without any significant problems. The parking lots were half empty (though the game wasn’t sold out), and the bike parking got some use despite the rain. Keep reading…

The draft parking zoning rules include a provision that multi-unit residential development still needs to construct 1 parking space per 3 units if it is within 400 feet of a low- or moderate-density residential zone (R-1 through R-5-B). Keep reading…

Over five meetings of the Parking and Loading working group, citizens gave their input on how much DC’s zoning code should require parking lots or garages in new development, where parking can be located on a lot, how many trees parking lots need, what bike parking is mandatory, and more. And last week, the Office of Planning released a draft of the new rules which they’ve… Keep reading…

Not all people working in the halls of Congress are paid by Congress. Some are on fellowships from nonprofits, funded to assist Congress with important policy areas. Some are on assignment from executive agencies to provide special expertise. These people aren’t eligible for all of the same benefits a regular Congressional staffer receives. For example, they can’t… Keep reading…

I love DC’s rowhouse neighborhoods. I love the many buildings on a block with interesting colors and shapes. I love the neighborhood feel of the corner store. I love seeing people out walking their dogs, biking to work, or doing shopping. I’d like to preserve the neighborhoods that have this, and build new neighborhoods that have it too. Keep reading…

It’s almost as if they are trying to prove that my April Fool’s satire isn’t far off. Shortly after the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) released a study suggesting tolls on the region’s major highways, the National Park Service called tolls “not prudent”. Keep reading…

Today is the third meeting of the Retail Strategy zoning update group. I can’t make it, but I really like two of the proposals they will be discussing: a frontage limit for stores, and a limit on blank walls facing the street in retail space. Keep reading…

I wondered last week if the Armenian Genocide Museum planned for 14th and G will use its existing storefronts for actual retail. According to the HPO staff report that was approved by HPRB last week, the museum will restore the historic storefronts in the building. Steve Callcott of HPO also told me that at least some of the storefronts will actually be retail; HPO is pushing for all of… Keep reading…

Last week, I wrote that “I’d like architecture critics to write about a building’s influence on the street as much as they write about the ‘chiseled setbacks and crisp vertical lines’” beloved by Times critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. Well, the Post’s Philip Kennicott did just that, in a very pro-urbanism piece praising the new convention… Keep reading…

If you are in the DC area and haven’t been living under a rock, you know that DC’s brand-new (and entirely taxpayer-funded) stadium opened last weekend. You also know that the city built remarkably few parking lots, telling fans to take Metro, bike (using the free bike valet) or take a shuttle from parking lots at RFK Stadium. Keep reading…

The following was posted as an April Fool’s joke.
New road will increase public visibility of Cherry Blossom trees and key monuments
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2008 - The National Park Service announced today that they have completed an EIS for the construction of a 4.5 mile Cherry Blossom Parkway along West and East Potomac Parks.
“The cherry blossom trees are Washington’s… Keep reading…

A building can be a beautiful object in its own right. A building is also a component of a larger whole. It fits in with the surrounding environment, whether other buildings in a series of row houses or the natural landscape in a more pastoral setting. It interacts with the humans who go in it and those who walk around it. Keep reading…

Wednesday’s Zoning Review meeting on Retail Strategy discussed the good and the bad of retail.
The previous meeting’s notes included a line that the Cleveland Park overlay may not be serving the community well. This brought out several overlay defenders including George Idelson, president of the CP Citizens Association, who argued that the overlay works very… Keep reading…

Mixed-use development is the best kind for so many reasons, like enabling people to live near where they work, and maintaining “eyes on the street” all day. However, it does create a few problems, like noise. There’s a big market for restaurants, bars, nightclubs and live music, but it can also be disruptive to residents. Keep reading…

Accessory dwellings are rentable units inside another home, like a basement apartment or an upper floor with a separate entrance. These are common in DC, but illegal in Arlington. What’s Up Arlington reports an intiative underway to change this law. Keep reading…

This afternoon is the second meeting of the Retail Strategy group of the DC Zoning Update. This group is discussing how zoning codes can encourage retail in DC, including where retail is allowed, and how to encourage smaller retailers as well as large. Keep reading…